"Exquisitely written and achingly intimate, this is a significant book which sets a new benchmark for memoir."--Judges' comments, Queensland Literary Awards
"A compassionate and sensitive entwined narrative of a lost son and lost mother, this book - by virtue of Olsson's writing - soars above the conventions of its genre. This unflinching story is gripping, moving, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit."--Judges' comments, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards
"Much of the power of this book lies in the way that it reflects the fates of all children lost to a parent or parents, and that lifts it beyond the level of merely personal memoir to give it some of the force of fable and folktale."--Judges' comments, Stella Prize
Praise for Shell "A
beguiling, original, and beautifully written imagining of Sydney of the sixties. "--Gail Jones, award-winning author
Praise for The China Garden: "Olsson is a gifted writer with considerable verbal flair."--The Age
"Olsson takes her time with this story, the characters are lovingly developed, the story carefully unfurled. The landscape and weather are also perfectly captured and are an integral part of the novel, almost as characters in their own right."--The Courier Mail
"Olsson shows great skill and delicacy."--Sydney Morning Herald
"A closely observed, carefully paced and tastefully produced work of fiction."--The Canberra Times
"A heartwarming and realistic tale."--Daily Telegraph
"
The China Garden will suit literature lovers who enjoy slow, steady reads with intriguing characters."--The Australian Bookshelf